1. Oversize/Overweight Vehicle Permitting
Project Status Update
February 14, 2017

2. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Who We Are
Ron Schaefer
Program Manager Leidos
Steven Todd
Vice President, Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association

3. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Project Objective
GAO Report on the Skagit River Bridge accident:
To improve stewardship over the nation’s highways and bridges, we recommend that the Secretary of Transportation direct the FHWA Administrator to take the following action:
Conduct a study on state oversize- and overweight-permitting practices, including automated vehicle routing and escort driver certification, to identify areas of best practice and share the results with states.
Source:
GAO Report / “TRANSPORTATION SAFETY: Federal Highway Administration Should Conduct Research to Determine Best Practices in Permitting Oversize Vehicles”, p. 24 February

5. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Project Kickoff 9/22/16
Task 1
Project Management
Task 2
Conduct literature review of available OS/OW permitting
Develop criteria for OS/OW permitting best practices
Task 3
Create inventory of State OS/OW permitting practices
Develop Best Practices Report: Draft and Final
Task 4
Share the Results: Two Webinars

6. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
The environmental scan was completed as follows:
Comprehensive web search to identify documents and other relevant information sources
Meeting with the FHWA Office of Bridges and Structures to identify National Bridge Inventory data of relevance to the research
Interviews with select states currently using automated OS/OW permitting systems
Interviews with select vendors who currently offer OS/OW permitting systems

7. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
Literature Review
AASHTO Subcommittee on Highway Transportation’s OS/OW Permit Harmonization Resolutions
Transportation Research Board Ongoing NCHRP “Finding and Using Data to Identify and Evaluate Corridors for Transporting Multi-State, Multi-Modal Oversize/Overweight Freight”
Pilot Escort Vehicle Training Materials and State Certification Harmonization Project, In Particular the Research Conducted On State Certification And Training Programs
GAO
Annual State Size and Weight Enforcement Certification Reports

8. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
State OS/OW Permitting System Information Scan
9 States were interviewed
Type of Permitting System
Manual or Automated
Route Identification
Load Height, Width, Length and Weight Thresholds
Application Process
Library: Inventory of Equipment and Previous Permits/Routes
Issuance of Permits When Thresholds Are Exceeded
Time & Cost Savings
Permit Accuracy
System Operation

9. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
Review of OS/OW Permitting Vendor Systems
Bentley Systems
SUPERLOAD - OS/OW permitting software package
GotPermits – enables carrier to submit permit app for multi-state route
ProMiles
primary vendor providing states with automated permitting and routing system
Oxcart Permits System
Web based system links local permitting agencies with carriers

10. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
Key Criteria for Assessing Best Practices
Do permitting processes promote operating efficiencies?
Do permitting processes enhance safety?
Do permitting processes promote harmonization?
Process
Analyzed Research Results and Link to Key Criteria
Route Identification, Threshold Limits, Auto-issuance of Permits, Time/Cost Savings, Permit Accuracy, System Operations
Identify Key Elements That Can Be Used to Identify Best Practices

11. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
Process
Identify Common Characteristics Between States
Regional, Geographic, Economic, Load Type
Cross-reference Best Practice Criteria with Geographic and Demographic Data Analysis Results
Develop Criteria For Assessing Best Practices
Linked to Key Criteria – Efficiency and Safety
Cross Referenced by Research Topic
Cross Referenced by Common Geographic/Demographic Characteristics

12. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
High Level Criteria – Safety and Efficiency
Enhancing the safe movement of OS/OW loads through:
Improved data quality and information exchange
Enhanced infrastructure protection through automated identification of permanent and temporary route restrictions
Enhanced highway safety through notification to open permit holders of changes in permit status

13. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
High Level Criteria – Safety and Efficiency
Reducing permit processing time and improving operational efficiencies:
Automating route selection and auto-issuance of permits to reduce permit turnaround time (PTA)
Reduced or eliminated backlog
One-stop-shopping with either state-issuance of local permits or direct links to local permit agencies

14. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
Automated Route Identification
State system has the authority to issue local permits as well as state permits
State system’s map includes state and local road systems
State system’s map has embedded links that provide point of contact information for local permit agencies
State OS/OW Permitting Webpage has a link that connects to local permitting portals
State OS/OW Permitting Webpage has a link that provides point of contact information for local agencies
State system enables carriers to generate route maps
State system includes and displays permanent and temporary route restrictions
State system includes a hyperlink that provides information on the restriction
State system will auto-route carriers around restriction

15. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
Thresholds
Height restrictions
The state system contains information on all bridge and other height restrictions.
The state system automatically routes carriers around bridge and height restrictions.
The state uses the “minimum or the maximum” criteria for issuing permits on bridges with variations in lane clearance heights.
Weight restrictions
The state system automatically routes carriers on routes that are approved for state weight thresholds.
Length restrictions
The state system automatically routes carriers on routes that are approved for state length thresholds.
Width restrictions
The state system automatically routes carriers on routes that are approved for state width thresholds.

16. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
Application Process
State system includes edit check functions that link the requested OS/OW load movement route to the correct permit for the particular load.
State system includes a library function that enables carriers to store company data, information on power units and trailer configurations and previously issued permits.
State system includes pre-approved routes for the movement of particular OS/OW loads.

17. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
System Operation
State system includes electronic payments options
Electronic Funds Transfer, credit/debit cards, escrow accounts
State system updates route restrictions in a timely manner and tracks all open permits. All open permit holders are notified if a change in a route restriction changes the status of a permit.

18. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
Other
State system has authority to issue permits for a port
Vendor system has the functionality to issue permits for multiple states for a single OS/OW load. State permits are only issued along a route where the requested permit and proposed route are in compliance with each state’s threshold requirements
Vendor system has ability to issue local permits for carriers whose OS/OW load includes local as well as state roads

19. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 2: Research Best Practices Criteria for OS/OW Permitting
Pilot Car Training and Certification Best Practices Criteria
Program Management
Training and Certification
Reciprocity with Other States
Enforcement

20. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 3: Inventory and Identify State Best Practices
Use Results of Task 2 to Develop Inventory Database of State OS/OW Permitting Processes
Identify Best Practices Using Task 2 Criteria
Key Criteria: Efficiency and Safety
Cross-reference State Best Practices by Research Product
Develop Best Practices Report Annotated Outline
Develop Best Practices Report

21. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Task 4: Share the Results with the States
Develop Presentation Summarizing the Results of Task 3
Conduct Two Webinars (Talking Freight)
Work with FHWA and Stakeholder Groups (AAHSTO, SC&RA, CVSA, Pilot Car Industry) to Identify Potential Participants
Contact Participants and Schedule/Conduct Two Webinars
Target Audience of Up to 100 Participants per Webinar
Document Webinar Results

22. OS/OW Vehicle Permitting Project Schedule
Task 2
Completed Information Scan and Literature Review on January 31, 2107
Developed Draft Criteria for Assessing State Best Practices on January 31, 2017
Develop final Review and Criteria by April 2017
SC&RA Symposium Workshop in February 2017
Task 3
Complete Annotated Outline of Best Practices Report by July 2017
Complete State OS/OW Permitting Process Inventory Data Base by August 2017
Complete Draft State Best Practices Report by September 2017
Complete Final State Best Practices Report by October 2017
Task 4
Conduct Two Webinars in November 2017
PowerPoint and 2-page Summary October 2017

23. Thank You! Ron Schaefer Steven Todd Program Manager Leidos
Steven Todd
Vice President, Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association